Hazardous-Environmental Diving Systems

Abstract

A system designed to increase diver safety in high-risk environments containing one or more hazardous materials. The system comprises one or more retrofittable kits enabling the upgrading of contaminate-vulnerable materials of an existing dive helmet to provide full environment isolation for the diver. The system preferably utilizes fluoroelastomeric replacement materials and components to convert an open circuit dive system to a closed circuit dive system. Methods of system development are also disclosed.

Description

[0001]The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 015,602, filed Dec. 20, 2007, entitled “HAZARDOUS-ENVIRONMENTAL DIVING SYSTEMS”, the content of which is incorporated herein by this reference and is not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention by the mention in this cross-reference section.BACKGROUND[0002]This invention relates to providing a system for improved hazardous-environmental diving systems. More particularly, this invention relates to providing systems designed to increase diver safety in high-risk environments.[0003]Military and professional divers are frequently exposed to contaminated waters in the course of carrying out routine duties, as well as operations arising from acts of terrorism, accidents, and disaster recovery operations. During recovery from a terrorist attack, such as on the USS Cole, dive operations after a ship wreck or aircraft wreck often necessitate dive operations in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]In accordance with a preferred embodiment hereof, this invention provides a method related to retrofitting at least one existing underwater dive system to enhance the safety of at least one diver operating in waters containing at least one hazardous material, such at least one existing underwater dive system comprising at least one existing dive helmet, at least one existing surface-supplied breathing-gas subsystem, at least one existing in-water exhaust subsystem, and at least one breathing environment available to the at least one diver, such method comprising the steps of: identifying at least one such existing underwater dive system comprising the at least one existing dive helmet, the at least one existing surface-supplied breathing-gas subsystem, and the at least one in-water exhaust subsystem; identifying, within the at least one existing underwater dive system, potential hazardous-material-caused failure points that result in at least one injurious introduction of at least one hazardous material into the at least one breathing environment during at least one operational duration; designing at least one risk-mitigating modification to such at least one existing underwater dive system, such at least one risk-mitigating modification being structured and arranged to substantially mitigate risks associated with such hazardous-material-caused failure points identified to occur within the at least one operational duration; providing at least one retrofit kit comprising materials and procedures required to implement such at least one risk-mitigating modification to such at least one existing underwater dive system. Moreover, it provides such a method wherein the step of providing at least one risk-mitigating modification further comprises the step of integrating such at least one risk-mitigating modification into such at least one existing underwater dive system. Additionally, it provides such a method wherein the step of providing at least one risk-mitigating modification further comprises the step of: providing at least one soft-goods replacement for at least one existing hazardous-material-susceptible soft good experiencing exposure to the at least one hazardous material during the at least one operational duration; wherein the at least one soft-goods replacement comprises at least one hazardous-material-resistant composition; and wherein, within the at least one operational duration, such at least one hazardous-material-resistant composition is substantially resistant to degraded physical performance by contact with the at least one hazardous material, and transmission of hazardous quantities of the at least one hazardous material into the at least one breathing environment by permeation of the at least one hazardous material through such hazardous-material-resistant composition. Also, it provides such a method wherein such at least one hazardous-material-resistant composition comprises at least one flouroelastomer. In addition, it provides such a method wherein the step of providing such at least one soft-goods replacement further comprises the step of integrating such at least one soft-goods replacement within such at least one existing underwater dive system. And, it provides such a method wherein the step of providing at least one risk-mitigating modification further comprises the steps of: providing at least one in-water-exhaust disabler to disable the at least one existing in-water exhaust subsystem; providing at least one surface-return exhaust subsystem structured and arranged to exhaust breathing gas from the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet to the surface; wherein at least one entry path for inhalable amounts of the at least one hazardous material may be removed. Further, it provides such a method wherein the surface-return exhaust subsystem comprises: at least one breathing-gas return hose structured and arranged to return breathing gas to the surface; at least one demand-based exhaust regulator structured and arranged to regulate, essentially on demand, exhausting of the breathing gas from the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet to such at least one breathing-gas return hose; and at least one exhaust coupler structured and arranged to operably couple such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator to the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet; wherein at least one demand-based exhaust pathway may be established between the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet and the surface. Even further, it provides such a method wherein the surface-return exhaust subsystem further comprises: between such at least one exhaust coupler and such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator, at least one over-pressure relief valve structured and arranged to relieve over pressures within the at least one breathing environment within the at least one existing dive helmet; and between such at least one exhaust coupler and such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator, at least one gas-flow control valve structured and arranged to control the routing of the breathing gas between the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet, such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator, and such at least one breathing-gas return hose; wherein such at least one gas-flow control valve comprises at least one first flow setting to enable exhausting of the breathing gas from the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet to such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator, at least one second flow setting to enable exhausting of the breathing gas from the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet directly to such at least one breathing-gas return hose without passage through such at least one demand-based exhaust regulator, and at least one third flow setting to enable exhausting of the breathing gas from the at least one breathing environment of the at least one existing dive helmet substantially entirely through such at least one over-pressure relief valve by preventi

Problems solved by technology

Military and professional divers are frequently exposed to contaminated waters in the course of carrying out routine duties, as well as operations arising from acts of terrorism, accidents, and disaster recovery operations.

Current diving equipment is not designed to adequately protect a diver from exposure to contaminants in the water.

Many dive environments are so hazardous that existing diving equipment can deteriorate to the point of failure in a matter of minutes, especially when exposed to contaminants such as diesel oil.

This exposes the diver to hazardous chemicals and compounds with adverse health effects, as well as threatening nominal operation of the very equipment on which the diver's life depends.

In recent tests, industry standard dive helmets, including the popular Kirby-Morgan MK-21, equipped with double exhaust valves, failed to prevent intrusion of water a

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